Up next we have General Mattis for position of Secretary of Defense. Typically this position must be held by someone who has been a civilian for at least 7 years, a qualification Mattis has not met since he just left uniform service in 2013. He could get a waiver, though, which seems likely.
A little background on Mattis before we get into the details of the hearing:
He is 66 years old, single and has no children. Mattis served 41 years total in the Marines.
Here are the most recent positions he has held:
2010 to 2013: commander of U.S. Central Command
2007 to 2009: commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command
2006 to 2007: commander of I Marine Expeditionary Force
2005 to 2006: commander of Marine Corps Combat Development Command
2002 to 2004: commander of the 1st Marine Division, led Marine forces into Iraq
In 2003 he was the Commander of the 1st Marine Division which was first on the ground in Iraq in 2003 and was also a critical leader in the battle in Fallujah in 2004. Mattis also led the first Marine force to enter Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks. Prior to that, he had served as lieutenant colonel during the Persian Gulf War and led one of the units to helped liberate Kuwait from Iraqi troops.
In addition to his incredible military background, Mattis has gotten a reputation for a highly combative and no holds barred nature both on and off the battlefield.
Trumps decision to pad his cabinet with high ranking military personnel has been an interesting decision, considering his own avoidance of serving during Vietnam due to his "bone spurs." Trump desperately wants to be a leader, wants the respect of the very group he feared being a part of. He attended military school and played dress up in the uniform but was too scared to even attend basic training. Now he gets to pretend to lead the worlds greatest military like a giant came of Risk.
Of all of Trump's cabinet picks, Mattis is the least risky. Yes, he is not a civilian, but his background is solid, he clearly has the experience, knowledge and Patriotism. We will update with Confirmation Hearing updates as they come in later today.
